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Why write essays to learn English effectively? |
| What is an essay? |
An essay is a collection of ideas on a specific topic presented clearly and in an easy-to-understand manner, typically written within a fixed word limit and in a limited period of time.
The question that might come to your mind: Why do I need to write essays to learn English effectively?
Let's go back to the definition for an answer to this question: |
| To ideate on a specific topic requires the learners to: |
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View a topic from different angles |
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Be up-to-date with current events |
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Have analytical skills |
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| Writing on a specific topic hones learners': |
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Communicative ability |
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Vocabulary skill |
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Grammar skill |
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Ability to write complete sentences to express ideas |
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| To present a set of ideas clearly on a specific topic requires the learners to: |
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Think logically about the topic |
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Arrange the ideas in a manner that shows sound reasoning |
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| Writing within a limited word span requires the learners to: |
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Select only the most relevant points and supporting ideas |
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Self-edit to rule out irrelevancies |
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Eliminate wordiness and be concise |
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| Writing within a limited time span means: |
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Learners are forced to think in a focused manner |
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Quickly put down their thoughts |
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| Writing in an easy-to-understand manner implies: |
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Keeping the reader in mind |
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Using words that are clear and specific as opposed to vague words |
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Maintaining logical flow of thought |
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Using language that is polite and unbiased |
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| Thus, it is clear that essay writing hones a diverse set of skills important in mastering English. Sustained practice means proficiency in the language leading to effective communication skills. |
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| How to begin an essay? |
Most often, you will be given a topic and asked to write about 250 words or more. The biggest dilemma facing learners is "how do I begin?"
Here are some pointers:
Define the purpose of your essay. Read the topic carefully focusing on key words. Does the topic ask you to:
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Describe: To give an account of an incident |
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Narrate: To tell a story either from imagination or from experience |
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Compare and contrast: To show how two things are similar as well as different |
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Process:To describe events or method of doing something in their order of occurrence |
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Opinion: To express your views on the topic given |
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Cause and effect:Why things happen and what are their effects? |
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General title: This will require a definition, a description of the advantages and the disadvantages, and your opinion. |
Once you have the purpose clear, write your thoughts and ideas.
1. Brainstorm for ideas within a fixed time period, e.g., 10 minutes
2. Jot down all the points that occur to you-this is called creating a "jot list"
3. While jotting down ideas, do not worry about spelling, grammar, or word choice
4. Rearrange the points in a logical order to form your introduction, body, and conclusion for the essay Here is an example showing you how to brainstorm: |
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The topic: Television has a negative impact on children and teenagers. What do you think about this?
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| Purpose: |
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To express your views on the topic-you can either agree or disagree with the topic statement. The trick is to jot down all your ideas. Then see whether you have more points in support of the statement or against the statement. If you have more points in support of the topic, then you should write agreeing with the it, and the opposite holds true if you have more points against the topic. |
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| Jot list: |
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TV can lead to lack of exercise and health problems like obesity |
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Many programs are unsuitable for children |
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Many channels are educational like "Discovery," "Animal Planet," etc. |
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We can see many things on TV that we would not be able to see in person |
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TV exposes us to different cultures and countries |
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Watching too much TV affects eyesight |
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We can know about something happening across the world almost instantly |
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We can see something like the World Cup from the comfort of our homes |
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TV hampers communication among family members |
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After you have finished doing what is mentioned above, look back at what you have written and identify the most important point(s). Try and write one sentence (thesis statement) that will encapsulate the most important idea from the jot list. This will form the crux of your essay - the main idea around which you will build up the essay.
As you can see, the points are varied and some support the topic statement and some are against the topic statement. In the next, issue I will show you how we can cull out the important ideas, club the similar ones together, and write a good introduction for the topic.
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